


Worried

by allonsytosherwoodforest



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: M/M, don't let him tell you otherwise, natsu is a worried boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 14:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4568448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsytosherwoodforest/pseuds/allonsytosherwoodforest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natsu trusted Gray, with every fiber of his being. He knew Gray, knew him biblically, intimately, in every way you could know a man. If anyone could waltz into danger and stumble back out no worse for wear, it would be Gray. But that didn’t stop Natsu from, okay, worrying. And really, it had been a long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worried

**Author's Note:**

> My titles are very creative. Enjoy the gay filth.

Natsu _wasn’t_ worried.

He was pacing back and forth, not even bothering to maneuver around the unconscious bodies that littered the ground, choosing instead to trample whatever lay in his path in his restless striding. Steam bellowed from Natsu’s nose every time he _harrumphed_ in impatience, and his fists lit up with flames in short bursts each time he glared at the tower looming above the courtyard. Happy floated about Natsu’s head, traipsing back and forth, offering cheerful words of encouragement as his friend absolutely _didn’t_ worry. Natsu wasn’t _worried._ He growled and forced his incessant footfalls to a grinding halt. His eyes slid unbidden to the tower again.

“He’s been in there a long time,” Natsu muttered darkly.

“Gray can handle himself, Natsu, you know that,” Erza remarked, not unkindly. She stood off to the side of the small tower courtyard, already Requipped back into her casual armor. Lucy sat next to Erza on a fallen rock. She nodded in agreement at Erza’s words.

“Yeah, Natsu. It’s not like you to be this worried,” Lucy commented, leaning back on her hands and crossing her legs.

“I’m not worried,” Natsu gritted out through clenched teeth.

Lucy giggled. “Seems like you are.”

“Well, I’m not, okay?” Natsu shouted, rounding on Lucy and Erza with flaming fists.

The two women blinked in surprise. Clearly, they weren’t expecting such an outburst from Natsu. Even Happy drifted closer to Lucy and Erza, concern etching his feline face. Natsu sighed, doused his flames, and scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Sorry,” he said, turning back to gaze at the tower. “But he’s been in there for two _hours_ already! What if he’s hurt and we can’t get to him? Gray can handle himself, but I’m still wor-“ Natsu cut himself off, clenching his fists again. He felt tight, wound up, like a spring that could never uncoil. It wasn’t that he had no faith in Gray’s abilities. Natsu _trusted_ Gray, with every fiber of his being. He knew Gray, knew him biblically, intimately, in every way you could know a man. If anyone could waltz into danger and stumble back out no worse for wear, it would be Gray. But that didn’t stop Natsu from, okay, _worrying_. And really, it _had_ been a long time.  

Team Natsu had taken a job to rid a town of a powerful wizard (and his numerous lackeys) who decided it would be a splendid idea to terrorize the peaceful people who lived there. The wizard’s name was Hallucikus, and he prided himself on the creation of fanciful mazes and illusions (hence – in Natsu’s opinion – the tacky name). Hallucikus had been placing spells on the town and the townspeople, confusing the villagers by apparently changing the layout of the town or putting imaginary, but frightening creatures in their way, and using the confusion to loot the town. Naturally, Team Natsu swooped in to save the day. They quickly discovered Hallucikus had holed himself up in an abandoned stone tower outside of town, and, upon the Team’s arrival, they were promptly ambushed by somewhere between twenty and thirty grunts.

Erza, Natsu, Lucy, and Gray took to battle (while Happy cheered them on from the sidelines). Hallucikus’ grunts were intent on keeping the Fairy Tail wizards out of the tower, and they put up a solid fight. It was during this skirmish that Gray shouted, “Erza! I’ve got an opening, I’m going in!”

Erza didn’t even bother to look up from the poor bastard she was destroying. “Go on Gray, we’ll join you in a few minutes!” Gray ducked through the tower entrance into the shadows and disappeared from sight. And, true to her word, in a few minutes Erza and the rest of the gang had left the grunts thoroughly unconscious on the ground.

“Alright!” Natsu cheered, already running for the open entrance to the tower. “C’mon Happy! We can’t let Gray have all the fun! Let’s – _oof!_ ” Natsu fell backwards on his butt, rubbing his forehead gingerly. “Ow,” he complained, “What gives?”

Erza and Lucy ran up behind him. “Natsu? What’s wrong?” Erza asked.

Natsu stood up, still rubbing his head. “I think there’s some kind of force field around the entrance. When I tried to get in it was like I hit a wall or somethin’.”

“Let me try,” Erza said, frowning. But she had no more success than Natsu.

And so the fun began. Natsu spent a lot of time battering the walls with his fire, to no avail. Erza Requipped into armor after armor, slicing at the tower with her myriad weapons, but the mighty Titania could not break through the force field. Lucy even called on several of her spirits, who were generally unhelpful, and Happy couldn’t do much of anything except fly Natsu around the tower, heedlessly searching for a weak point in the fortress’ defense. When they shouted for Gray, there was no answer. Peering through the doorways and windows revealed nothing but dark shadow, even though it was the middle of the day and the inside of the tower should have been flooded with light. Eventually, the foursome was forced to retreat to the courtyard (with grumblings from Natsu that sounded like, “Oh man, I was all fired up!”) to wait for their companion to return from the depths of the tower or for the force field to disappear.

And now it was two hours later and there was no sign or sound from Gray. Natsu was not a patient man, and the unnerving silence of the tower had him on edge.

 With Natsu’s (almost) admission of concern, the women’s eyes softened.

“Hey Natsu. We’re worried about Gray too, but we just have to trust him,” Lucy said.

Erza made a sound of agreement. “If Gray doesn’t return in another hour I’ll return to the Guild and bring Levy or Freed back to help us break the enchantment around the tower.”

“You know, Natsu’s right,” Happy ventured, “Gray has been in there for a long time. I really hope he’s okay.”

“If he’s not I’m gonna kick his ass,” Natsu growled.

“Isn’t that a little counterproductive?” asked Lucy, exasperated.

Natsu itched to fight alongside Gray. Fighting _with_ Gray was fun (and often led to some other, more enjoyable activities), but there was nothing to compare to the thrill of fighting beside him, moving completely in sync, reading each other without a word. They were stronger when they were together, but Gray was in there _alone._

Just then, a loud explosion rocked the top of the tower. Bits of smoke billowed out of the open top floor windows and tiny chunks of ice rained down from the same openings.

Natsu felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. “Gray!”

“Oh no,” came Lucy’s soft, horrified voice. Natsu could practically hear Erza clenching her teeth.

Without thinking, Natsu dashed forward and slammed a fist into the open doorway. The force field held. There was no getting in. With a frustrated scream and a vengeful kick to the doorway, Natsu retreated. His eyes roamed frantically, studying the tower for weaknesses as if his very gaze could pierce through the enchantment separating him from his lover. Gray was in there and he could be hurt and Natsu couldn’t get even a _finger_ inside the stupid tower to _help him._

A thousand horrible thoughts swirled through Natsu’s mind. Was Gray lying in pieces somewhere at the top of that tower? Was he seriously injured, bleeding out, with no one to help him? If only Natsu had tried harder to get into that tower. If only he had gone in with Gray in the first place. If only could break through the force field. If only he was stronger. If only, if only, if only, if only…

“Natsu,” came Erza’s commanding voice. Always the voice of reason to Natsu’s irrationality. “I’m going back to the Guild to get help. You, Lucy, and Happy stay here in case Gray returns.”

But there was no need. Natsu smelled him before he heard or saw him. There was only one person Natsu knew who smelled like a freaking blizzard.

Grays footsteps pattered slowly but surely as he emerged from the tower entrance, blinking in the sudden sunlight. Natsu’s heart sang, and he felt his face split by the force of his grin. Gray was _alive._ (He had lost his shirt, not that Natsu was complaining or surprised, and he looked exhausted, but he showed no sign of serious injury, and most importantly, he was _alive_.)Whooping, Natsu ran forward and threw himself at his boyfriend, wrapping his arms firmly around Gray’s neck and pressing his nose to Gray’s cheek, inhaling his stupid blizzard scent. Gray let out a soft “Oof!” when Natsu attached himself, but enfolded Natsu in his arms without hesitation. As always, taking Natsu in his arms was a deeply ingrained habit Gray had no intention of breaking any time soon.  Fire and ice may not mix, but Natsu and Gray belonged to each other like the earth belonged to the sky and the water belonged to the shore.

Natsu pulled back just enough to let his eyes rove over Gray’s face.

“That took a long time, Ice Princess,” Natsu said, still smiling. Not even his annoyance at Gray could damped the joy of having Gray back by his side again.

“What, you don’t trust me to get the job done?” Gray replied.

“What kinda dumb question is that?” Natsu asked, brow furrowing. “Of course I trust you, Droopy Eyes.”

Gray smirked. “Natsu, don’t tell me you were _worried_ about me?”

Natsu abruptly broke away from Gray, crossing his arms and turning his head with a huff. “No,” he said unconvincingly.

Happy’s voice floated up from behind them. “He’s lllllying~!”

“Am not!” Natsu snapped.

“Are too!”

“Am _not!_ ”

“Are _too!_ ”

Gray chuckled and gathered Natsu in his embrace again. Natsu sighed in contentment, forgetting his petty argument with Happy instantly, as Gray’s cold hands came up to cup Natsu’s cheeks, his thumbs stroking Natsu’s cheekbones lightly, lovingly. Natsu felt all the residual tension from his hours of _uselessly_ waiting for Gray melt from his body. He leaned his head forward to rest their foreheads together, breathing Gray in like a desperate, dying man. One of Gray’s hands slid slowly down Natsu’s cheek to stroke his bottom lip softly. “I’m sorry I made you worry,” Gray said.

“Idiot,” Natsu replied succinctly, and closed the small gap between their lips.

Natsu kissed like he was hungry, and Gray was his last supper. His kisses burned, consumed. He could drown in Gray and die a happy man. Gray’s arms were firm around his waist, pulling Natsu impossibly closer, their bare chests alive with heat as they slid together. Natsu threaded his fingers through Gray’s hair, and when Gray opened his mouth under Natsu’s, nothing else mattered but the passion that danced between them, entwining them.

“Oh gross, why do you two always have to make out in front of me?” Lucy complained loudly.

The only response she received was in the form of a rude hand gesture from Natsu, before said hand returned to Gray’s hair, which tugged tightly, causing Gray to groan.

The couple didn’t torture Lucy too long (Erza didn’t really mind – she had known them longer, and honestly preferred them kissing to fighting) and sooner than either would have liked, they pulled apart.

After a short respite to catch his breath, Natsu glared at Gray. “So what gives, Gray? We’ve been waiting here for _hours,_ and I’m starving!”

“Yes, I would like to know as well,” Erza added. Now that Natsu and Gray had detached enough to resemble two different people instead of one organism with eight limbs, Lucy, Erza, and Happy approached, waiting to hear Gray’s explanation.

“Well,” Gray started, and he suddenly looked very tired. “That bastard Hallucikus had the whole tower rigged with illusions and mazes. I had to make my way through all of his obstacles before he even showed his face. What a coward.”

“Well what was that explosion, then?” asked Lucy.

Gray grinned mischievously. “Oh, that was just a creative way to beat that moron. The actual fight lasted about two minutes. Turns out he was a pretty easy opponent; he was such a wimp. It just took me a while to get through the tower.” Gray frowned. “Wait a minute, why didn’t you guys come in after me? You’ve just been standing here the whole time?”

Natsu thumped Gray (gently) on the top of his head with a closed fist. “You think we would just leave you in there to fend for yourself? There was a force field around the tower. Hallucikus must have put it up. We couldn’t get in.”

Erza nodded. “Yes, I was just about to return to the Guild to fetch help to break the barrier. But you’re here now, so let’s all return home together.”

Lucy, Happy, Natsu, and Gray smiled. “Yeah!”

Lucy, Erza, and Happy went on ahead, Happy and Lucy arguing about exactly how the reward was going to be split (Happy voted Lucy only get five percent because she was no help getting in to the tower, to which Lucy thundered back that the damn cat was even less help than her). Natsu and Gray trailed behind them, hand in hand, shoulders brushing.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, before Gray spoke up.

“You know, you don’t have to worry about me, Flame Brain.”

“I know,” Natsu responded, squeezing Gray’s hand. “But I love you, and I’m always gonna worry about you. Besides,” he added as an afterthought, “I’m the only one who’s allowed to kick your ass.”

Gray laughed at that and pressed a swift kiss to Natsu’s temple. Natsu felt cold heat where Gray’s lips pressed to his skin. “Don’t worry, Natsu. I’m not going anywhere.”

Natsu smiled.

He wasn’t worried.


End file.
